Pyrophoric lighter



y 1952 P. E. M. GUIBORD 2,596,548

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed Nov. 7, 1950 2 sums-sum 1.

f f: f! Y Paul E mile Maurice Guibord 11v VENTOR.

y 1952 E. M. GUIBORD 2,596,548

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Nov; 7, 1950 I Pau/ Emile Maur/ce Guibord INVENTOR.

BY Mir/WW 8% Patented May 13, 195 2' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

P ul -Eat fixxfiffifiia Que Canada, .assignor of fifty pereentto Leo H. Riddell, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

.ApplicatiomNovember 7, 1959, Serial No. 194,527

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements ;in pyrophoric lighters, and the principal DbjtQt of the invention is to provide a lighter with ;;igniting mechanism of novel construction, which isisubstantially durable and thereby is capable of with standing hard usage for considerable periods of time, without sustaining injury ordamage.

Some of the advantages of the invention-reside in its simplicity of construction, initseificient and dependable operation, in its adaptability for use in pyrophoric lighters of diiferent sizes and types and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specif cation proceeds, the invention consists essentiallyin the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure ,1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewthereof, taken substantially in the planeof the line; 2 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in the planetofthe line fiwlin Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail, partially broken away, showing the arrangement of the spark wheel and ratchet unit with the associated Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pawl per se;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of an actuating element used in the invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 9-4) in Figure 8.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to Figures 1-7, inelusive, the invention is embodied in a pyrophoric lighter which is designated generally by the reference character and includes the usual housing 22 which affords a fuel chamber 24 in which is disposed a wick 26' and a, tube 28 containing a spring-pressed flint 30, all arranged in the conventional manner. The wick 26 protrudes outwardly from the chamber 24 through a guide 32 provided on the top wall of the housing, while the flint replacing screw in the tube 28 is designated .byjthenumeral t iand the fuel filler screw for the chamber 24 is indicated by the numeral 35;

The essenceof novelty in the invention resides in the construction of the igniter mechanism, this involving the provision of a pair of transversely spacedlmembers 38 atthe top of the housing 22, the members 38 being provided with a pair of coaxial, annular chambers 40 which have open opposing inner sides in communication with the space between the members 38, as is best illustrated inFigure 3.

.A ,transversefulcrumpin 42 is secured in the housingmembersta ccaxially with the chambers 49, and a ;h ollow cap is swingably mounted on this pin between the members 38, as shown.

The hollow cap 44 accommodates what may becalleda combinedspark wheel andratchet unit including a spark wheeli ls and a pair ofratchet wheels48 which are;dis posed at the opposite sides of the spark wheel and are rotatable therewith on the pin142 independently of the movement of thecap The spark wheel 46 frictionally engages the aforementioned flint 30, and the cap 44 also embodies an inverted sn-ufier cup 50 which is adapted to abut the aforementioned guide 32 and cover the wick 26 when the cap 44 is in its closed position, so as to extnguish a flame on the wick in the conventional manner.

It is to be noted that the closed upper end 52 (see Figure 2) of the cup 50 is spaced downwardly from the top wall of the cap 44, whereby to accommodate therebetween the bight portion 54 of a substantially U-shaped rod which is designated generally by the reference numeral 56 and functions as a pawl, having free ends 58 thereof in operative engagement with the respective ratchets 48. It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the cap 44 is swung to its open position, as indicated by the dotted lines 69 in Fi ure 2, the ratchets 48 will be rotated so as to strike the spark wheel 46 against the flint 35 but when the cap 60 is subsequently returned to its closed position, the spark wheel and ratchet unit will remain stationary.

A keeper screw 62 extends downwardly through the upper wall of the cap 44 and through the top wall 52 of the cup 50, this screw being disposed within the bight portion 54 of the pawl 56 whereby to sustain the latter in position. Needless to say, by simply removing this screw, the pawl 56 may be conveniently replaced, when necessary.

Means are provided for automatically returning the cap 44 to its closed position, these means involving the provision of a pair of pins or fingers 64 which project to opposite sides from the cap 44 into the respective chambers 40 and abut the ends of arcuate, helical springs 66 which these chambers accommodate. Stationary abutment members 68 are also provided in the chambers 49 at the opposite ends of the springs 60, so that the springs urge the cap 44 to its closed position, as indicated by the arrow 10 in Figure 4.

The springs 66 may be provided at one end thereof with suitable plugs 12 to abut the fingers 64 as shown in Figure 4, and the abutment members 68 may be formed integrally with the housing members 38, if so desired. However, it is to be noted that the housing members 39 are formed with openings 14 communicating with the rer spective chambers 40, so as to afford passages for the fingers 64 when the cap 44 is being removed from its position between the housing members after removal of the fulcrum pin 42.

The lighter is actuated by the depression of an elongated actuating member 76 which is pivotally mounted at one end thereof by a pin 13 on the housing 22, the member or element 16 being equipped with a suitable finger grip 80 while its other end portion is provided with a slot 82 to accommodate a transversely extending bar or rod 84 in the cap 44. It will be apparent from theforegoing that when the element 16 is depressed to the position shown by the dotted lines 86 in Figure2 the cap 44 will be swung upwardly, as indicated at 60, and when downward pressure on the element 16 is released, the springs 66 will automatically return the cap as well as the actuating element 16 to their initial position.

Referring now to the modified embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying Figures 8 and 9 and is designated generally by the reference character 90, the arrangement of the igniter mechanism herein is similar to that in the embodiment already described, with the exception that the cap 92, corresponding to the aforementioned cap 44, is provided with a simple finger piece 94 whereby the cap may be swung to its open position, as will be clearly apparent.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a pyrophoric lighter, the combination of a pair of transversely spaced housing members provided with a pair of coaxial annular chambers having open opposing inner sides in communication with the space between said members, a

transverse fulcrum pin secured in the housing members axially of said chambers, a hollow cap swingably mounted on said pin between said members, a combined spark wheel and ratchet unit rotatable on said pin within said cap and independently of the latter, a resilient pawl provided in said cap and operatively engaging the ratchet portion of said unit, a pair of fingers provided on opposite sides of said unit and projecting laterally into the respective chambers, a pair of stationary abutment members provided in the chambers of the respective housing members, a pair of arcuate helical springs positioned in the respective chambers between the respective housing members and the respective fingers whereby to swing said cap in on direction, and means for swinging said cap in a direction opposing the action of said springs. 7

PAUL EMILE MAURICE GUIBORD.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

